Nigerians would go to the polls on March 9 to vote for new state governors and members of state houses of assembly.

The Plateau youth peace treaty was signed during a citizens interactive session with vulnerable groups on peaceful and credible elections, organised by Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN) with support from Search for Common Ground.

The agreement was signed by communities from Jos North and South Local Government Areas comprising Tudun-Wada , Ungwan Rogo, Rikkos and Gada-biyu, among others.

Rev. Samuel Goro, the Executive Director of CEPAN, said youths should be peace ambassadors and must shun any action that could trigger violence.

He said that for a violent free election, certain measures must be complied with, saying that people should not be forced to vote for candidates against their wish.

He added that “voters should not be intimidated to vote certain candidates and open campaign on election day should not be allowed.”

He urged youths to desist from drugs intake and engaging in uneccessary arguments during the elections, saying it could provoke negative reactions.

He said “we urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make reliable arrangements for their logistics to ensure successful polls.

“Uneccesary delay in conveying electoral materials to polling units and incomplete materials have been found to cause agitations by youths who perceive deprivation of their right to vote their choice leaders.

“I urge INEC not to delay result announcement and to avoid cancelling elections without evidence of electoral malpractice because this could trigger negative reactions too.”

Miss Grace Dalla from Jos North Local Government Area, said some People With Disabilities (PWDs) had challenges accessing their polling units, saying the EC40H forms for their data were not issued.

She, however, added that the people were among the first to vote during election.

Mr Abdullahi Musa , a youth leader from Unguwan Rogo, cautioned party supporters against “violent” celebrations after elections, saying that the attitude was unwholesome and could trigger violence.

Those at the interactive session included reformed drug addicts, women leaders and youth leaders who served as peace ambassadors in their various communities. MAA/HA

He said that youths could make a difference even in their local communities by engaging in positive environmental enhancement practices and persuading others to treat the environment with care and respect.

According to him, what can youths do differently? They can educate others on the need to respect our environment, engage in clean-up campaign and finally go and plant a tree.

“Many nature advocates believe that the only possible benefit of the lockdown, occasioned by the COVID-19pandemic, is the fact that the earth enjoyed a holiday from human’s constant exploitation.

“LEAD Network believes that though our environment has supported us greatly in terms of the air we breathe, food we eat, the water we drink and the sun rays that reach us, there has not been a commensurate kindness and regard to the same environment and nature itself.

“Man is part of the ecosystem. Unfortunately his tendencies to exploit the environment has been without regard to other life forms and posed a threat to sustaining lives under water and on the land in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Man’s negative and exploitative approach to the environment makes it imperative that youths, who are the active occupiers of the world, must stand up and advocate for positive and sustainable environment that will support them and generation to come’’.

The LEAD Network boss also lamented the “unfortunate’’ mass felling of trees in the country, which would soon result to a threat to the climate and the survival of other forms of life.

“Let me talk to the youths now that they must be morally guided so that they will not cut short various opportunities and benefits which abound around them,” she said.

She asked the Christian board not to deny the youths some of the knowledge that could be gained while attending pilgrimage.

“The image the board painted about our youths is ugly but we must not deny them of the opportunity because there are a lot of benefits that they will extract.

“I will only advise the board to lay down some policies restricting our youths during pilgrimage and work with some prominent personalities in the state like lawmakers to present trusted youths that will not abscond.

“I want to urge them not to strike out the opportunities from the youths,” she said.

The committee chairman tasked the board to be proactive and come up with ideas on sourcing funds from well-to-do people in helping the Christian body.

Haruna, a NAN staff, said that the unveiling of the compact marked the beginning of a paradigm shift in youth response and engagement in mitigating the COVID-19pandemic that had taken its tolls on the global human population in all ramifications, especially in Nigeria.

He explained that the aimed of the project was to domesticate the Global compact for youth in humanitarian action and COVID-19 to complement Federal Government’s efforts in the fight against the virus at all levels.

Haruna, therefore, said the compact was a wake-up call for all hands to be on deck in the humanitarian efforts to reduce the suffering of millions of Nigerians by addressing the humanitarian needs, risks and vulnerabilities.

According to him, the compact will form a framework for action, change and mutual accountability, against which youth can collectively assess and review progress during and beyond the pandemic.

“These youth will serve as an information hub, where stakeholders can learn more about the pandemic and many of the major initiatives on COVID-19 and other humanitarian efforts.

”This, we hope, will be achieved through reliable and up-to-date information on the effects of COVID-19 on the Youth population, and how their response efforts from the Federal to community levels, can be obtained.

” The Compact will also serve as a dynamic advocacy and implementation tool for all stakeholders to advance their response efforts to the public domain and foster new commitments and partnerships.

” In the same vein, it will also provide report and testimony to the transformation that is taking place in various communities across the country.

“This is imperative for creating opportunities for meaningful engagement of young people in the fight against the pandemic, ” he said.

Burning garbage is a standard tool used by the residents in the impoverished coastal enclave to get rid of the accumulated trash in dozens of places across Gaza.

However, burning does more harm than good.

“It is no longer a secret that burning can cause long-term health problems,” said Etaf Hamad, an organizer of the initiative, adding that “living in an unhealthy environment is increasing the risk of viral infections including the coronavirus.”

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19pandemic in January and its quick spread across the globe, the World Health Organization has urged people to live in a healthy environment and maintain their hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus.

That, however, has proven to be difficult in Gaza, said Hamad, stressing that Gazans are suffering from the lack of medical staff, equipment and treatment, which prompted her and a group of other volunteers to come up with the recycling initiative that aimed at protecting the environment.

Moreover, they are also trying to involve their children in the initiative.

Encouraging mothers like themselves, the organizers had shared their videos on Facebook, calling on others to join in.

The videos went viral, with many other women deciding to participate, said Hamad.

“Women are the ones who are raising children and can thus bring about the much needed change,” Hamad explained.

Dania Abdul-Rahman from Nuseirat Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip was busy with her kids making soft puppets by using clothing and manufacturing flowerpots from plastic bottles.

The 42-year-old mother of five told Xinhua that she was worried about the spread of the virus in the most populated area, especially in light of medical equipment’s shortage.

“The initiative has helped me to overcome my fears and take matters into my own hands, contributing to the creation of a healthy environment,” explained Abdul-Rahman, who also taught her kids on the basics of the recycling.

In addition to that, Abdul-Rahman uses her newly acquired talent to make some money by making small puppets used as accessories for wedding halls and birthday parties.

Earning about 150 U.S. dollars a month, she said that it is enough to support her family amid the current uncertainty.

Another volunteer, Lamees Ahmed, who is only 11 years old, showed her friends a small bag that she has just made by herself from her old blouse.

“My mother taught me how to use my old clothes to turn them into something completely different,” the young girl told Xinhua, adding that she will encourage her friends to adopt the recycling mechanism.

“Such initiatives will help the community to reduce their waste that could harm the environment,” Chairman of National Institute for Environment and Development Ahmed Hilles told Xinhua, adding that 80 percent of Gaza’s waste is made of organic constituents.

He noted that his institute had implemented dozens of initiatives to help the local families reduce their domestic waste and recycle most of the organic garbage.

“The Palestinian government, as well as the area’s various environmental institutes have to support all youth initiatives that help the people to protect themselves from the disease,” Hilles added.

Legal practitioner seeks employment for youths to boost economy

Mr Yusuf Ahmed, an Ilorin based legal practitioner, has said youths empowerment should be prioritised ahead of leadership trainings to ensure economic independence and boost survival.

Ahmed, who made the call in Ilorin on Saturday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria , said that youths deserved empowerment programme and not leadership training by government and individuals.

According to him, most government programmes on youths are solely on leadership training at different centres with little attempt on youths empowerment.